Every Tuesday is going to be devoted to tales (and tails!) of our animal personalities here on Boulderwood Farm, the motherland of Heirloom Meals! Today, Julia and Delilah, strike a pose while chillin’ in grass heaven, hopin’ to give a whole new meaning to grass-fed beef. Looking good, ladies!

Even the animals have to eat! And their excitement when the see the hay coming is pretty amusing. This winter we've kept the horses and cows in the lower pasture because it is flat and there is a wonderful flowing stream where they can get fresh water that doesn't freeze. Our upper pasture is pretty steep with many under ground springs that create a skating rink environment which is hazardous to the animals. The hay barn is however at the top of upper the steep pasture. We heave the bales into the truck and drive them down. When we go to the barn, the cows begin to moooooo with excitement and the herd descends on the gate. I don't have to come up with a menu for the animals, but it sure is fun feeding them.

And for my other herd....here's a meal I put together after a vigourous cross country ski outing. While there was no mooing, the herd descended upon the table which always makes a cook feel good!!

I have been absent from my blog for a few weeks. I have so much to report. Some happy, some very sad. I'll start with the sad. Around midnight Sunday, my border collie, Burtee began barking which alerted me to some banging in the barn. I got my flashlight and saw my horse Valkyrie rolling furiously. And I knew it was colic....Jim and I rushed to the barn to get her up to no avail. We called the vet (Dr. Stephanie, a beautiful compassionate young woman) who was out on another emergency and said she could come right over. She arrived around 1 am and we tried a stronger muscle relaxer and pain killer and got Valkyrie up. The Doc did not like what she found when she did the internal exam and suggested emergency surgery. Alas with no trailer available at 2.30 am and a 2 hour drive to Tufts, we were disheartened and confused. Our only option was to keep her pain free and pray that she would feel better. Dr. Stephanie left us with medicine to help us get to daylight and to reach my friend with a trailer. She returned at 7.15 am and Valkyrie had gotten worse. It pained us to see her suffer for one more minute and we had to make the decision to euthanize her. It was truly one of the saddest heart-breaking moments that I have had on this farm or in life. I have had a heavy heart for the last few days. I pray that my dear sweet Valkyrie lives on in the divine world from where horses are known to come.

I observed the other horses were painfully aware that something happened to their friend and one's mother. The baby (who is now three) whinnied for her mother and the other two horses expressed such compassion and love. They circled Gaefa, kissed her, groomed her and have not left her side. The herd is in mourning but they are supporting each other - their behavior has helped lift my sadness.

But before all this sadness, new living creatures have joined life on the farm. On June 27th we welcomed three Scottish Highland cattle - Julia, a three-year old, Delilah, a 9 month old and an unnamed 9 month old bull. I will write more on our new herd, our intention to raise grass-fed beef and the experience of this new journey. And last Tuesday the 7th we got 12 new egg layer chicks and 12 broiler chicks.

Life on the farm places the realities of the cycle of life front and center. I am not sure that I factored that into our decisions to get farm animals, but it has both sobered and strengthened me. Somehow I think the barnyard has a lot more yet to teach me.

One of my favorite chickens is named the “Growler” for her distinct growly voice. She has found her own nightly perch in the rafters of our horse shelter. She lays blue eggs. Upon rising, she jumps down and greets me at the back door for her special treats – stale bread, strawberry hulls etc before I open the chicken house and feed her sisters (all named, of course).

The Growler and her sisters roam freely (at their peril) all day – scratching the underbrush, eating bugs in my flower garden, and in particular, love the horse pasture – especially the worms in the manure. They run up and down the hills, take long luxurious dust baths and drink from a natural spring.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because real free-range chicken eggs (better stated as "pasture-raised" chicken eggs) are AMAZING!! Their flavor is robust; their yolks the color of the setting sun; and their shapes, sizes and color are all unique.

Try one of my favorite recipes handed down from my mother: Cheese Soufflé
Ingredients:
1lb grated cheese (preferably cheddar)
4 oz. flour
12 oz. milk
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
4 oz. butter
salt and pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make a white sauce with the flour and milk. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl. Then add the yolks 2 at a time to the cheese mixture. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Place in a buttered soufflé pan. Place pan in another pan of hot water and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Excellent with a salad.